Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California. (ON/AFP/Getty Images)

FANCY FOOTWORK

Nancy Pelosi triumphs! On Wednesday she beat back the rebels in her own party to become the Democrat’s Nominee for House Speaker, while Congressman Seth Moulton’s botched coup will be best remembered for the hashtag #FiveWhiteGuys. She still has to secure the whole House’s vote in January, but our money’s on the woman who Barack Obama this week called “one of the most effective legislative leaders this country has ever seen.”

WE’RE NOMINATING

Eve Ensler to perform at the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. It’s a no brainer when the (beautiful) main stadium looks like this.

NEED TO KNOW

Spurred on by a despicable court ruling last week classifying a rape as somehow “non-violent,” thousands of women have been marching through Spain.

Her security costs now covered, Christine Blasey Ford is donating all remaining funds from her admirers to organizations that support trauma survivors.

The European Parliament’s President opened a press conference by smearing red lipstick across his cheek, part of a campaign in his native Italy to raise awareness of domestic violence.

Ethiopia has stacked its government with women in recent months. Use our round-up to get to know the new Head of the Supreme Court, Press Secretary and President — and why their leadership comes at a critical moment.

OOF

The New York Times held nothing back in their fresh investigation into how Les Moonves fought to bury assault charges as Times reporters closed in. It’s full of choice details straight out of a Jackie Collins novel, including the graphic recollections of an accuser, actress Bobby Phillips, and treats us to panicked lunches and texts in the wee hours between CBS overlord Moonves and Phillips’ cheesy manager as they plot how to keep her quiet.

WHO’D HAVE THOUGHT

Judge Judy has topped the list of the Highest Paid TV Hosts in the World, joining another list — the 50 Richest Self-Made American Women — in the process.

HORRIBLE

Data from over60 American police agencies reveals that rape investigations are being classified as successfully cleared and closed — which sounds a lot like solved — without a single arrest being made. It’s because of a provision called “Exceptional Clearance” — police departments love it because they can look productive without getting results.

LUNCHBREAK

Listen to our founder Tina Brown’s new interview podcast, TBD. The first two episodes just dropped, featuring conversations with Transparent’s Jill Soloway and the creators of A&E’s The Clinton Affair.

Kyrgyzstan’s space program, aiming to launch the country’s first satellite by 2020, is staffed and led entirely by women. This video takes you inside headquarters.

IT COULDN’T HAPPEN HERE

But it does. A U.S. Judge has ruled that the 1996 law passed by Congress banning female genital mutilation is unconstitutional, and that laws concerning FGM are instead up to each state. The case that went to trial concerned nine young girls who were allegedly brought to Michigan for the procedure from Minnesota and Illinois, where legislation exists against it. So, lawmakers in Michigan: Let’s see some action on this issue.

DOWNTIME

The newest episode of Surviving Y2K, a podcast about where people were on New Years’ Eve 1999, includes Masha Gessen driving through a snowstorm for love, recordings of a bank robbery, and the fight to birth the millennium baby between two women in labor at the same time.

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This is a disgrace. Where is the UK foreign office in all of this? Aras Amiri now joins another British-Iranian, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, in notorious Evin prison on bogus charges. @foreignofficehttps://t.co/DJX0knhdot